وَسِربِ عَذارى مِن رَبيعَةِ عامِرٍ

وَسِربِ عَذارى مِن رَبيعَةِ عامِرٍ

تَشابَهَ مِنها العِقدُ وَالدَّمعُ وَالثَّغرُ

تَشابَهَ مِنها العِقدُ وَالدَّمعُ وَالثَّغرُ

And many a bevy of maidens from Rabīʿat ʿĀmir,

A flock of maidens from the Banu 'Amir

Whose necklaces, tears, and teeth resembled one another.

Their necks and tears and lips all alike

وَفيهنَّ مِقلاقُ الوِشاحِ إِذا مَشَتْ

وَفيهنَّ مِقلاقُ الوِشاحِ إِذا مَشَتْ

وَأَثقَلَها الرِّدفانِ خَفَّ بِها الخَصرُ

وَأَثقَلَها الرِّدفانِ خَفَّ بِها الخَصرُ

And among them is one whose sash hangs loose; when she walks

The sound of their trailing robes as they walk

And her hips weigh her down, her waist lends her lightness.

Their hips made heavy by their behinds, slender their waists

أَقولُ لَها وَاللَيلُ مَدَّ رِواقَهُ

أَقولُ لَها وَاللَيلُ مَدَّ رِواقَهُ

عَلَينا وَلَم يَهتِك جَوانِبَهُ الفَجرُ

عَلَينا وَلَم يَهتِك جَوانِبَهُ الفَجرُ

I say to her, while night has spread its canopy

I say to her as night spreads its awning over us

Over us, and dawn has not torn its sides apart,

And dawn has not yet lifted its edges

وَقَد سَفرَت عَن وَجهِها فَتَمَزَّقَتْ

وَقَد سَفرَت عَن وَجهِها فَتَمَزَّقَتْ

دُجاهُ وَلكِن رَدَّ ظُلمتَهُ الشَّعرُ

دُجاهُ وَلكِن رَدَّ ظُلمتَهُ الشَّعرُ

And she has unveiled her face, tearing apart

Though night has erased her face and torn it away

Its darkness—yet her hair has restored its gloom:

Poetry brings back its darkness

خُذي رَمَقِي إِن رُمتِ قَتلي فَإِنَّهُ

خُذي رَمَقِي إِن رُمتِ قَتلي فَإِنَّهُ

بَقيَّةُ ما أَبقاهُ حُبُّكِ وَالهَجرُ

بَقيَّةُ ما أَبقاهُ حُبُّكِ وَالهَجرُ

“Take my last breath, if you seek to kill me, for it

Take my life if you wish to kill me

Is the remnant of what love for you and estrangement have left.”

For it is what remains after your love and abandonment